What Does it Take to Be an Environmental Economist?
Job Description: Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.
Life As an Environmental Economist: What Do They Do?
- Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption.
- Interpret indicators to ascertain the overall health of an environment.
- Perform complex, dynamic, and integrated mathematical modeling of ecological, environmental, or economic systems.
- Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes.
- Identify and recommend environmentally friendly business practices.
- Write research proposals and grant applications to obtain private or public funding for environmental and economic studies.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Environmental Economist?
Below is a list of the skills most Environmental Economists say are important on the job.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Related Job Titles
- Environmental Economist
- Agricultural Economist
- Senior Economist
- Energy Economist
- Resource Economist
Is There Going to be Demand for Environmental Economists?
There were about 21,300 jobs for Environmental Economist in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,300 new jobs for Environmental Economist by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,600 positions for Environmental Economist per year.

The states with the most job growth for Environmental Economist are Alabama, Louisiana, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, West Virginia, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of an Environmental Economist
The average yearly salary of an Environmental Economist ranges between $58,130 and $182,560.

Environmental Economists who work in District of Columbia, Virginia, or Maryland, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Environmental Economists in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $103,740 |
Alaska | $85,970 |
Arizona | $93,350 |
Arkansas | $75,380 |
California | $124,430 |
Colorado | $104,350 |
Connecticut | $95,450 |
Delaware | $86,850 |
District of Columbia | $134,260 |
Florida | $105,230 |
Georgia | $111,570 |
Hawaii | $98,100 |
Idaho | $61,130 |
Illinois | $108,690 |
Indiana | $84,740 |
Iowa | $87,530 |
Kansas | $72,600 |
Louisiana | $103,070 |
Maryland | $116,870 |
Massachusetts | $117,680 |
Michigan | $90,040 |
Minnesota | $81,720 |
Mississippi | $75,450 |
Missouri | $112,240 |
Montana | $89,980 |
Nebraska | $81,010 |
Nevada | $79,170 |
New Hampshire | $74,570 |
New Jersey | $100,500 |
New Mexico | $87,680 |
New York | $127,520 |
North Carolina | $81,470 |
Ohio | $125,490 |
Oklahoma | $76,500 |
Oregon | $87,420 |
Pennsylvania | $87,630 |
South Carolina | $68,550 |
Tennessee | $83,350 |
Texas | $106,480 |
Utah | $88,280 |
Vermont | $96,620 |
Virginia | $126,080 |
Washington | $95,010 |
West Virginia | $68,430 |
Wisconsin | $80,070 |
What Tools do Environmental Economists Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Environmental Economists may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- MySQL
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Minitab
- C
- StataCorp Stata
- Wolfram Research Mathematica
- Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
- Insightful S-PLUS
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Aptech Systems GAUSS
How to Become an Environmental Economist
Individuals working as an Environmental Economist have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become an Environmental Economist?

Where Environmental Economists Are Employed

The table below shows the approximate number of Environmental Economists employed by various industries.

References:
Image Credit: Bernard Ladenthin via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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